Introducing Demopedia: The collaborative information clearinghouse from DU

[Skinner]

In our continuing efforts to make Democratic Underground more useful for our visitors, today we are unveiling Demopedia, a collaborative, information gathering system based on the popular Wiki software. Demopedia allows DU members to create an entire encyclopedia of information on any subject imaginable. The pages are created using "open editing" so any DU member may add information to any page on any topic. Demopedia is available here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/demopedia

There is also a permanent link to Demopedia at the top of every DU page.

Demopedia is currently available as a BETA VERSION. We encourage members to log in and start writing articles and collecting information. We do not know how long this BETA testing period will last: It may be a week, or it may be a few months. Once the BETA testing period is over, we may have to shut down Demopedia for a while in order to implement changes. Anything that you add to Demopedia during this BETA testing period will be saved as part of our permanent collection of information. Do not be alarmed if we make changes to Demopedia or to the user database during this BETA testing period.

How to register to use Demopedia

In order to use Demopedia, you must have registered as a member of the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums before December 7, 2004. We have imported the entire database of usernames and email addresses from our Discussion Forum into Demopedia, but we have not imported your passwords. During this BETA testing period, we are not accepting new Demopedia registrations.

Instructions for logging on to Demopedia are available on the Demopedia Main Page: http://www.democraticunderground.com/demopedia

We think that Demopedia will make it much easier for DU members to collect and organize information on a variety of topics. We encourage you to go try it out right now!

-The DU Administrators

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

1. first problem

The database doesn't think I exist. I checked my spelling carefully. :shrug:

[NoodleBoy]

4. you need to get a new password sent to you

just type in your name and hit the "get a new password" thing.

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

10. sheesh

I'm such an idiot, I didn't think of that. :eyes:

I typed in my name. Properly. It thinks my *name* doesn't exist.

[Elad]

5. Looks like it's having issues with the underscore

I'll get back to you on that.

[NashVegas]

6. No Underscore Here

But it's telling me my password is incorrect.

hmmm.

[Skinner]

8. Did you have it email you a new password?

You need to do that first.

[NashVegas]

9. Ah

yeah, did that. and then promptly posted a bug in ATA - oops, wrong forum

anyway, I'm in now.. Looks way groovy Skinner.

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

11. Thanks!

:hi:

[Elad]

17. Ok, I think I got it working with underscores now

Let me know if you have further problems.

[NoodleBoy]

2. sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet, I'm registering right now

[arwalden]

3. Very Cool

:-)

[blondeatlast]

7. Very, very cool!

Damn, you guys are GOOD!

Thanks for this!

[NashVegas]

12. I Have a Question or Two

1. Is there any kind of operational philosophy defining the intended purpose? ie, is this to be a WikiPedia type thing, or more of an open source magazine type thing?

2. What is this "talk"?

How do we branch out in categories/subjects? For instance, say I wanted to start a page on Chomsky. I did a search on that term, came up with no results and so expected to see an option to start that particular subject, but didn't see that.

Or are we confined to 'talk' for the beta period?

[Skinner]

13. Answers

1. During the BETA period, we have not articulated an operational philosophy. We want to see how DUers use it before we tell you how to use it.

2. I don't know. We've only been playing with the software for a week or two. We're still figuring out ourselves.

3. If you want to create a new subject, just type in the URL for the page you want to create, using underscores instead of spaces:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/demopedia/index.php/Noam_Chomsky

The software magically creates the page for you! Just click the "Edit this page" link to get started.

[NashVegas]

14. thanks!

coolness.

Y'all have been busy, haven't you?

[Skinner]

15. Yes, we've been busy.

Since the election, we have been been focused on making a bunch of changes that we've wanted to make. It gives us something positive to do, and helps to keep our minds off the election results.

We're hoping that the Demopedia will give DU members something positive to do. :)

[NashVegas]

16. Woo Hoo I'm first!

(just an itty bitty thang)

Well, after you all :D

[NashVegas]

18. Oh and Another Question

Seeing as though this is a beta, are we free to get um, discordant (as in Fnord)? Or must we behave already?

[Skinner]

19. We'd prefer if people behaved.

But when I say "behave" I'm not trying to limit what people try to do with the Demopedia. But our hope is that members don't deliberately disrupt or post false information.

[NashVegas]

24. So, Like

I can't start a page on 'God' and use a picture of Nick Cave, is that what you're saying?

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. Very cool, but not sure if anything I post about the Green Party

would get to stay. *g*

(No seriously, I think this is great! I enjoy wikipedia and I think it's gret DU will have a 'pedia of its own!)

http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[Skinner]

23. Why don't you try posting something and see what happens?

At this point, we have not articulated any rules about what can and cannot be posted in Demopedia. If we're really lucky, we won't have to -- members can be responsible for keeping the information accurate, up-to-date, and useful.

I don't see any reason why there shouldn't be a section about the Green party. Just stick to the facts, and you'll be fine. :thumbsup:

[crispini]

21. AAAAAAUUUUUUUUGHH!

Do you have ANY IDEA how addictive this is going to be? :D

Thanks! This is extremely cool.

[Bill McBlueState]

22. wow

Wow, you guys are ambitious. I continue to be amazed with the new directions the site takes. Thanks!

[progressoid]

25. Holy Cow - - As if I didn't already spend too much time on the internets!

[Solly Mack]

26. Outstanding! & Thank you !!

[NYC Liberal]

27. I clicked Mail Me a Password

But my email still hasn't arrived. How long should it take?

[NYC Liberal]

28. *phew*

Just got done doing the "President" page.

Tell me what you think! :)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/demopedia/index.php/President

[auntAgonist]

29. I just registered!! FaNtAsTiC WORK!!!! thank you DU !

[kwyjibo]

30. Bob Dole.

Bob Dole

From Demopedia

A former spokesperson for Viagra.




I love it.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

31. It says it sent me a password... but it didn't

:shrug: I DID check filtering... recently updated my email addy w/DU, might that be why... and how can I get one?

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

32. I posted my issue in ATA

THANKS! :)

[Jim Lane]

33. Copyright issue

Maybe you haven't yet decided this -- what will be the copyright status of contributions to Demopedia?

Wikipedia uses the GNU Free Documentation License (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License>). The gist of it is that the author retains his or her copyright but grants a fairly broad license for the work to be used in other GFDL-compliant projects. (As that article notes, however, some people think there are problems with the GFDL.)

Wikipedia has a huge amount of content that could serve as the starting point (or perhaps, in some cases, as the finishing point) for Demopedia articles. Consider, for example, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_H._Humphrey> -- or, from more recent political history, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush_military_service_controversy>. If Demopedia goes with the GFDL, then appropriate Wikipedia content could be imported to Demopedia. It would have to be properly attributed, but there'd be no need to pay any fee or even obtain prior authorization. The same would be true of much valuable content from Disinfopedia, which also uses the GFDL. See, for example, <http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Hill_%26_Knowlton>.

An alternative would be that everything posted on Demopedia is thereby automatically put into the public domain. That would maximize the availability of the material for use elsewhere, but it would mean that Wikipedia content (and, I assume, Disinfopedia content) couldn't be imported. Also, some contributors might not want to write something that became public domain.